Three-dimensional puzzle

ABSTRACT

A three-dimensional puzzle, which consists of several mutually connected puzzle elements which result in a regular tetrahedron in the assembled state. A number of identical tetrahedron-shaped puzzle elements and a number of mutually identical puzzle elements of different sizes are provided which all have the shape of a closed spatial frame. In this case, the development is such that the inner sides of the legs of the frame-shaped elements are identical to the outer sides of the frame legs of each of the next-smaller elements or to the surfaces of the smallest tetrahedron-shaped elements. All elements are in each case connected with one another along one of their edges, specifically such that they can be folded and can be pulled apart a distance at least on one end. In this case, the elements are arranged such that they form a number of chains which have different lengths, are each placed against one another with their largest element and consist of puzzle elements which all have different sizes.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is a three-dimensional puzzle game for adults and childrenwhich results in a regular tetrahedron in the assembled state. It isused for entertainment and for demonstrating a specific geometricalprinciple.

The main game value of known puzzles is the achieving of the more orless tricky task of creating an order out of disorder. The disassemblingor mixing-up does not have any special appeal. This has the disadvantagethat the interest in the puzzle will wane as soon as it is determinedhow it can be assembled correctly and can be solved.

The tetrahedron puzzles known from U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,565,442 and4,323,245 as well as the tetrahedron puzzle known from German DesignPatent G 88 08 167.2 also have this disadvantage. In the case of thelatter, this disadvantage compensated by the fact that it can also beused for various purposes that are not game-related. In the case of theU.S. Pat. No. 4,323,245, this disadvantage is compensated by the factthat, in addition to the target shape, other bodies can also be built bymeans of these elements or groups of elements.

Another disadvantage of the known puzzles is that, even when they have aregular design, not much attention is paid to the geometrical principleson which the puzzles are based because the "pile of rubble" of theindividual pieces stimulates thoughts on how the destroyed whole can berestored and not on according to which principle the individual pieceswere shaped.

In addition, familiarity alone is a disadvantage in the case of puzzlegames, and there is always a demand for new puzzles.

It is an object of the invention to provide a three-dimensional puzzlegame which is surprising with respect to its unfamiliar pattern andcreates particular interest. The puzzle should be entertaining not onlywhen it is put together but also when it is taken apart. Also, thespecial characteristic of a tetrahedron, which is that it can be dividedby only a few angular cuts into a plurality of elements shaped asregular spatial frames, is to be demonstrated in an impressive fashion.

This object is achieved by means of the characteristics described inclaim 1.

The puzzle game comprises a specific number of similar elements ofpartly different sizes which are all permanently connected with oneanother to form a branched chain. The chain structure can be puttogether to form a filled-in regular tetrahedron.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description of theinvention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1a and 1b are views of an assembled puzzle;

FIG. 2 is a view of a complete disassembled puzzle;

FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c are views of three individually illustratedelements;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view concerning the principle of dividing thetetrahedron into the elements of the puzzle;

FIG. 5 is another schematic view of the dividing principle;

FIGS. 6a and 6b are views of the connection of two elements;

FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c are views of the process of the folding-apart on theexample of two puzzle elements;

FIG. 8 is a view of a partially assembled puzzle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1a and 1b illustrate an embodiment of a puzzle assembled from 21elements. It is a regular tetrahedron of which two surfaces respectivelyare visible in the drawing. In FIG. 1a, six puzzle elements 1 to 6 arevisible on the two surfaces. FIG. 1b is a view of the puzzle that isrotated by 120 degrees; in this case, five additional elements 7 to 11are visible.

FIG. 2 shows the same embodiment as a completely disassembled puzzlewith the elements 1 to 21.

The puzzle consists of a number of similar frame-shaped elements ofdifferent sizes and of a number of identical regular tetrahedrons whichare the smallest puzzle elements. If the number of the smallesttetrahedron-shaped elements is n, there are n-1 mutually identical,next-larger, frame-shaped elements; n-2 next-larger to those, etc., and1 largest frame-shaped element.

In FIG. 2, respective identical elements are the six tetrahedron-shapedelements 1, 7, 12, 16, 19, 21; the five frame-shaped elements 2, 8, 13,17, 20; the four next-larger elements 3, 9, 14, 18; then the threeelements 4, 10, 15; as well as the two second-largest elements 5 and 11.The largest element 6 occurs only once.

FIGS. 3a, 3b, and 3c illustrate examples of frame-shaped elements. Eachof these elements consists of four frame legs of the same length and thesame cross-section respectively, of which two legs respectively arearranged at a 60-degree angle with respect to one another. Thecross-section of the legs has the shape of an equilateral lozenge. Oneleg cross-section 22 respectively is illustrated in FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3cby means of an interrupted line. The outer edges of the frame legs formfour outer edges of a regular tetrahedron; so do the inner edges. Onlyin the case of the smallest frame-shaped elements, are the inner edgesreduced to precisely one point. FIG. 3c shows such an element. In thecase of all frame-shaped elements, the cross-section of the frame legsis the same; the elements differ only with respect to the length oftheir frame legs. The inner sides of the frame legs of an element arealways identical with the outer sides of the frame leg of thenext-smaller element, or, in the case of the smallest frame-shapedelements, with two surfaces of the tetrahedron-shaped puzzle elements.The inner surfaces 23 in FIG. 3a are identical with the outer surfaces24 in FIG. 3b; so are the surfaces 25 and 26 in FIGS. 3b and 3c.

The number, shape and size of the puzzle elements are the result ofseveral plane angular-cuts through the tetrahedron in parallel to itssurfaces:

Two plane cuts always start on one tetrahedron edge, extend in parallelto one surface respectively at an acute angle toward one another, andend in a straight line in the interior of the tetrahedron which extendsin parallel to the opposite edge. The distance to the respective surfaceis the same in the case of bath cuts.

As a result of such an angular cut, a smaller tetrahedron and atetrahedron half-shell are formed, as indicated in the schematic drawingof FIG. 4 as reference numbers 27 and 28.

The same angular cut, taking place from the opposite tetrahedron edge,divides the tetrahedron half-shell 28 into a frame 31 and a smallerhalf-shell 32, and the tetrahedron 27 into a half-shell 29 and into astill smaller tetrahedron 30, as illustrated in the schematic drawing ofFIG. 5.

By means of additional angular cuts of this type with equal distancesfrom one another, a tetrahedron is divided into the pieces which make upthe puzzle. In FIG. 5, the additional cuts to be made are indicated byan interrupted line.

In this case, the two opposite tetrahedron edges are divided from theoutside toward the inside into equally long sections 33, and the section34 formed by the angular center cut must have precisely twice the lengthof the other edge sections.

The embodiment with 21 puzzle elements illustrated in the drawing isbased on a total of ten angular cuts, five respectively from the twoopposite tetrahedron edges. Correspondingly, twelve angular cuts couldresult in 28 elements; eight angular cuts in only 15, etc.

All puzzle elements are permanently connected to form a branched chain.Two elements respectively are connected with one another along one oftheir edges.

FIGS. 6a and 6b show the connection of two elements. The two connectededges have the same length and in the inoperative condition directlyabut with one another along their whole length, as indicated in FIG. 6a.The connection is flexible so that the two puzzle pieces can be foldedabout the axis of their connected edges with respect to one another. Theconnection must also permit that the two piece edges can be pulled aparta little, as illustrated in FIG. 6b. In the illustrated embodiment, theedges are connected with one another by means of two elastic threads 35and 36 which are each fastened on the inside of the elements or arepulled through to the next connecting point.

The extensibility of the edge connections is required for thefolding-out of the puzzle elements which are fitted into one another.FIGS. 7a, 7b and 7c show this process on the example of two elements 14and 15 in three steps: FIG. 7a shows the position of the two elements inthe assembled tetrahedron. The elements are connected with one anotheralong their edges 37. In FIG. 7b, the smaller element 14 is foldedhalf-way toward the outside. So that its apex 38 can be moved past theframe leg 40 of the larger element, its frame leg 39 must be displacedslightly toward the outside, and for this purpose, the otherwisedirectly abutting edges of the two elements must be pulled apart. InFIG. 7c, the smaller element 14 is folded completely to the outside, andthe connected edges of the two elements abut again directly with oneanother.

FIGS. 2 and 8 show the arrangement of all puzzle elements in the chainstructure. All elements, with the exception of one--a tetrahedron-shapedelement--are combined to a number of chains. Each of these chainscontains one element more than the preceding one; the shortest chainconsists of two elements. In each chain, the puzzle elements arearranged to be rising according to their size, starting in each casewith one of the smallest tetrahedron-shaped elements. In each case, theelements are connected on edges of two opposite frame legs with thenext-smaller and next-larger element. In FIG. 2, the shortest chainconsists of elements 19 and 20; it is followed by the chain consistingof three elements 16, 17, and 18, etc., to the longest chain with theelements 1 to 6.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, a tetrahedron half-shell can be assembled fromeach of these chains. The respective largest elements of all these chainas well as the remaining tetrahedron-shaped element are, in turn,connected with one another. In this case, the elements are againarranged according to their sizes, and the respective connecting edgesare also situated on two opposite frame legs of the individual elements,specifically on such frame legs which otherwise have no connecting edgeto another element.

This results in the branched chain structure illustrated in FIG. 2 whichcan be assembled to form the chain of tetrahedron half-shells which areplaced next to one another and which is illustrated in FIG. 8, andfinally in the filled-in tetrahedron.

The puzzle game may be manufactured from firm materials, such as metal,plastic, plexiglass, wood or cardboard. The puzzle bodies may be solidor hollow. The visual effect of the game can be heightened by differentmaterials, a coloring or a surface treatment of the individual elementsor of their individual surfaces.

The principle on which the puzzle game is based is well demonstrated inthe case of 21 elements. The puzzle game becomes the more enticing andthe puzzle itself becomes the more attractive aesthetically, the largerthe number of elements.

It is the special attraction of this game that the transformation of theregular solid tetrahedron, which seems to be divided in a simple manner,into an airy structure of pieces that is seemingly in disorder and seemscomplicated, is surprising. The joy in this transformation is longlasting because during the disassembling or the assembling operation,the elements can be grouped in diverse, aesthetically very attractivevariations so that the puzzle continues to be enticing. Although itlooks complicated in the disassembled condition, the puzzle can beassembled quite easily so that one does not hesitate to play with itagain.

It is possible to omit puzzle pieces which will later be disposed on theinside, such as pieces 21 or 19 to 21 so that a hollow space is formedon the inside of the tetrahedron for the accommodation of objects, suchas a small perfume bottle or a piece of jewelry.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, itis to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration andexample, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit andscope of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms ofthe appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A three-dimensional puzzle comprising:a plurality ofidentical tetrahedron-shaped puzzle elements, a plurality of sets offrame shaped elements, each set of frame shaped elements having aplurality of identical frame shaped elements with frame shaped elementsof different ones of said sets having different dimensions, a singlelargest frame shaped element which is larger than the frame shapedelements of the sets of frame shaped elements, wherein each of saidframe shaped elements have the shape of a closed spatial frame andconsist of four legs arranged with respect to one another so that outeredges of the spacial frame form four edges of a first regulartetrahedron, and inner edges of the spacial frame a second regulartetrahedron which is smaller than the first regular tetrahedron, whereininner sides of the legs of each frame shaped element have dimensionscorresponding to outer sides of respective frame shaped elements of anext smaller set thereof, and permanent connection devices forconnecting al puzzle elements with one another, said permanentconnection devices serving to connect a respective pair of elementsalong respective ones of their edges directly with one another andallowing the pair of puzzle elements to be folded about an axis alongtheir connected edges, aid connection devices being flexible andextensible to permit pulling apart of the connected edges at least onone end of the connected edges, and wherein the elements are arranged sothat they form a number of chains of different lengths which are eachplaced against one another and consist of puzzle elements of differentsizes, the individual elements in each of these chains being arranged indecreasing size order and each chain containing one puzzle element morethan the preceding chain.
 2. A three-dimensional puzzle according toclaim 1, wherein each element within the chains of different lengths isconnected on edges of two substantially opposite frame legs with thenext larger and the next smaller element.
 3. A three-dimensional puzzleaccording to claim 2 wherein the largest elements of each chain areplaced next to one another and are connected on edges with correspondingframe legs of enlarged elements of adjacent chains.
 4. Athree-dimensional puzzle according to claim 1, wherein the largestelements of each chain are placed next to one another and are connectedon edges with corresponding frame legs of enlarged elements of adjacentchains.
 5. A three-dimensional puzzle according to claim 1, wherein allchains are placed adjacent one another at their respective largestelement, starting with the longest chain and ending with a singletetrahedron puzzle element.
 6. A three-dimensional puzzle according toclaim 1, wherein the number of the smallest tetrahedron-shaped elementsis n, there are n-1 next-larger frame-shaped elements, n-2 next-largerones with respect to the latter, etc. and 1 largest frame-shapedelement.